Shaft bearing mounting



March 22, 1966 s, FARISQN 3,241,891

SHAFT BEARING MOUNTING Original Filed May 2, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. 6/6777? 6'. 2 277607! United States Patent Office 3,241,891SHAFT BEARING MOUNTING Glenn S. Farison, Southfield, Mich., assignor toChrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a corporation of DelawareOriginal application May 2, 1960, Ser. No. 26,300, now Patent No.3,184,625, dated May 18, 1965. Divided and this application Dec. 30,1964, Ser. No. 422,228

5 Claims. '(Cl. 308-15) This invention relates to rotary shaft bearingstructures and particularly to an improved bearing construction for therotor shaft of an inductor-type alternator-rectifier unit. Thisapplication is a division of copending United States Patent applicationSerial No. 26,300, filed May 2, 1960, in the name of Glenn S. Farison,now US. Patent 3,184,625.

It is a prime object of this invention to provide a new improved,simplified form of sealed bearing structure for the rotor shaft of analternator unit or similar type shaft bearing mounting.

It is another object of this invention to provide a snapon bearing clampthat serves a dual function of sealing the bearing against foreignmatter and also anchoring the bearing in a recessed support.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become readilyapparent from a reading of the following description and a considerationof the related drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional elevational view taken along the line 1-1 ofFIGURE 2, showing an alternatorrectifier unit embodying this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view, partially broken away, looking inthe direction of the arrow 2 on FIGURE 1, at the right end of thealternator-rectifier unit shown in FIGURE 1 with portions of the housingright side broken away for the sake of clarity; and

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the bearing clamp shown inFIGURES 1 and 2.

Looking particularly at FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be seenthat this alternator-rectifier unit comprises a pair of slotted housingor shield assemblies 21 and 22 that are axially spaced apart by a statorunit S. Housing piece 21, that is shown at the front or left side ofFIGURE 1 is denoted the rectifier end of the housing. It includes aplurality of interiorly arranged air circulating slots 24. These slots24 cooperate with fan 26 fixed to the rotor unit R to provide for thecirculation of cooling air through the alternator-rectifier unit duringoperation thereof. Housing rectifier piece 21 is formed with a rotorshaft bearing seat 28 at its center portion that receives a cupcontained roller bearing assembly 29. Roller bearing assembly 29 ispreferably mounted in the housing seat 28 by means of a press fit. Itwill be noted that the edge portion 29a of the bearing cup 29 is turnedover to abut and seal against the rotor shaft 30 so as to protect thebearing 29 against damage from the introduction of foreign matterthereto. Bearing 29 is initially packed with lubricant and is intendedto be permanently lubricated.

The driven end housing piece 22 embodying this invention (see FIGS. 1and 2) is generally similar in design to the rectifier end housing piece21 in that it is slotted at 65 throughout its central or hub area and isslotted at 66 throughout its peripheral area to provide for maximumcooling air flow through the alternator unit by the centrifugal fan 27.The fans 26, 27 suck cooling air into the alternator unit through thehub portion openings 24 and 65 and pass the cooling air across thealternator internal structure and then discharge it through theperipheral housing slots 66.

Patented Mar. 22, 1966 As can be clearly seen from FIGURES 1 and 2, theend piece 22 is formed with a circular hub portion 22a that is piercedby a bore 22b to receive the drive end of the rotor shaft 30. Extendingradially outwardly from the hub portion 22a are three equally spacedstruts 220. Located between the struts 220 on the outer periphery of thehub portion 22a are three bearing clamp seats 22e. The seats 22s aretapered as shown at 22] in FIGURE 1 to facilitate the snap-on mountingof the plate-like bearing clamp 77. Clamp-type cover plate 77 has threeradially extending arms with flanged, outer, hook-like, edge portions77a that are slidably forced up the tapered seats 22f to snap over theouter ends of the seats 22e. The clamp-type cover plate 77 has acircular hub portion 77b that is adapted to bear against and hold thepre-lubricated ball bearing assembly 78 in the recessed seat 79 in endpiece hub portion 220. In addition to providing a portion 77b to holdthe bearing assembly 78 in the recess 79, the clamp-type cover plate 77has an axially extending flange portion 770 formed at its innerperiphery adjacent the bore therein that receives the rotor shaft 30.The clamp flange 770 (see FIGURE 1) is adapted to provide a seal againstthe shaft 30, or the fan 27 thereon, so that foreign matter that mightbe injurious to the bearing assembly 78 will not enter the bearing fromthe inner side thereof. The outer side of the bearing assembly 78 issealed by the hub of the pulley drive wheel 80 (shown in broken lines inFIGURE 1) that seats in the recess 81 in the housing end piece hubportion 22a. It is thought to be obvious from the foregoing descriptionthat the bearing assembly anchor clamp-type cover plate 77 serves a dualfunction in that in addition to locking the bearing assembly 78 in itshousing seat 79, it also seals the inner face of the bearing 78 againstthe entrance of any harmful foreign matter therein. Because of thisnovel clamp and seal construction 77 it is not necessary to use anexpensive pre-sealed bearing assembly unit for rotatably mounting thedrive end of the rotor shaft 30.

I claim:

1. In a rotary shaft mounting, a support member having a boretherethrough to receive and journal a shaft and circumferentially spacedseat portions formed thereon, a bearing assembly mounted in said boreand rotatably supporting said shaft, a cover plate capping at least oneend of said support member bore, said cover plate having an aperturetherein matingly receiving and sealingly engaging said shaft and meanson said cover plate anchoring it to said support member, said lastmentioned means comprising circumferentially spaced, resilient armsengaged by a snap-on connection with said seat portions formed on saidsupport member.

2. In a rotary shaft mounting, a support member having a boretherethrough to receive and journal a shaft and circumferentially spacedseat portions formed thereon, a bearing assembly mounted in said boreand rotatably supporting said shaft, a cover plate capping at least oneend of said support member bore, said cover plate having an aperturetherein matingly receiving and sealingly engaging said shaft and meanson said cover plate anchoring it to said support member, said lastmentioned means comprising radially extending, circumferentially spaced,resilient arms engaged by a snap-on connection with said seat portionsformed on said support member, said seat portions including taperedportions engaged by said arms faciliting snap-on connection of saidcover plate to said support member.

3. In a rotary shaft mounting, a support member having a boretherethrough to receive and journal a shaft and circumferentially spacedseat portions formed thereon, a bearing assembly mounted in said boreand rotatably supporting said shaft, a cover plate capping at least oneend of said support member bore, said cover plate comprising a centralhub portion having an aperture therethrough matingly receiving andsealingly engaging the shaft, said central hub portion of said coverplate covering the adjacent end of said bearing assembly and havingradially outwardly extending, circumferentially spaced arms formed withaxially extending hook-like connector means anchored to said seatportions on said support member by snap-on connections.

4. In a rotary shaft mounting, a support member having a borethereth-rough to receive and journal a shaft and circumferentiallyspaced seat portions formed thereon, a bearing assembly mounted in saidbore and rotatably supporting said shaft, a cover plate capping at leastone end of said support member bore, said cover plate comprising acentral hub portion having an aperture therethrough matingly receivingand sealingly engaging the shaft, said central hub portion of said coverplate covering the adjacent end of said bearing assembly and havingradially outwardly extending, circumferentially spaced arms formed withaxially extending hook-like connector means anchored to said seatportions on said support member by snap-on connections, said supportmember seat portions including tapered portions to facilitate snap-onconnections of the hook-like means on the cover plate to the supportmember.

5. In a shaft mounting as set forth in claim 3 wherein said cover platehas a substantially axially extending flange surrounding the aperture inits central hub portion that portion that sealingly contacts said shaft.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS DON A. WAITE,Primary Examiner.

ROBERT C. RIORDON, Examiner.

2. IN A ROTARY SHAFT MOUNTING, A SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A BORETHERETHROUGH TO RECEIVE AND JOURNAL A SHAFT AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACEDSEAT PORTIONS FORMED THEREON, A BEARING ASSEMBLY MOUNTED IN SAID BOREAND ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID SHAFT, A COVER PLATE CAPPING AT LEAST ONEEND OF SUPPORT MEMBER BORE, SAID COVER PLATE HAVING AN APERTURE THEREINMATINGLY RECEIVING AND SEALINGLY ENGAGING SAID SHAFT AND MEANS ON SAIDCOVER PLATE ANCHORING IT TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, SAID LAST MENTIONEDMEANS COMPRISING RADIALLY EXTENDING, CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED, RESILIENTARMS ENGAGED BY A SNAP-ON CONNECTION WITH SAID SEAT PORTIONS FORMED ONSAID SUPPORT MEMBER,